The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 261

“Grandpa.” Claire smiled, her voice light.

Padgett still hadn’t let go of the topic from before.

Claire glanced at Tiffany, then explained, “Tiffany was just warning me not to care about brands or wear fake stuff.”

Tiffany’s jaw practically hit the floor. Who says things like that right in front of Padgett? Was Claire completely fearless or just clueless? Tiffany’s face went pale, then flushed red with embarrassment.

When Padgett turned to look at her, Tiffany forced a smile and tried to explain herself. “Uncle, I was just worried. Girls these days can get caught up in appearances. I wasn’t saying Claire is like that, just… giving her some friendly advice. You know, wearing knockoffs might make people think she’s showing off. I was only thinking of her…”

But Padgett’s expression grew darker by the second. Tiffany’s confidence wavered, her words coming out awkward and rushed.

“How do you know her clothes are fake?” Padgett asked, his tone calm but pointed. He didn’t know much about fashion, but he could recognize quality when he saw it. Claire’s outfit was clearly well-made, nothing like those cheap imitations.

Tiffany refused to back down. “But these days, everyone’s making replicas that look almost identical to the real thing. You can hardly tell them apart. Vanity starts small, you know. And this brand—SUNNY—it’s only sold overseas. Where could Claire have possibly gotten it?”

“Mom, that’s enough.” Yolande tugged at her mother’s sleeve and pulled up something on her phone. She held the screen out for Tiffany to see.

“What is it?” Tiffany glanced at her daughter, frowning, only to see a photo on the screen.

“It’s from SUNNY’s official website. See? The exact same design as Claire’s. It’s not a knockoff—it’s the real thing.”

Tiffany shook her head, refusing to believe it. “That just means it’s a really good fake. Some of them look exactly the same, but they’re never actually like the original.”

But Yolande stood her ground. She didn’t think she’d done anything wrong. Claire hadn’t done anything to deserve this, and she definitely hadn’t been showing off. Why was her mom picking on her? It didn’t make sense.

Yolande could sense her mom’s resentment towards Melissa, even though she’d never met her. She wasn’t about to let her mom ruin things with Padgett’s family.

“Mom, you’re the one who’s in the wrong. Just apologize to Claire, okay?” Yolande insisted.

Padgett nodded in approval at Yolande. He thought she was much more sensible than her mother.

“I…” Tiffany’s lips trembled. She stared at Claire, hoping she’d just let it go.